61 pages • 2-hour read
The Expedition of Humphry Clinker
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Letters 29-44Chapter Summaries & Analyses
Letter 29 Summary: “To Sir Watkin Phillips, Bart. of Jesus College, Oxon.”
Jeremy writes to his friend from London. He describes events that took place on the journey from Bath. Tabitha’s dog, Chowder, misbehaved, and caused an accident while the group was travelling by carriage. As a result of this incident, Tabitha refused to continue with the previous driver, and they abruptly needed to hire someone new to continue driving their coach. After a brief search, they hired a young peasant named Humphry Clinker.
Although Humphry successfully conveyed the family to the next stop on their journey, Tabitha became very offended by his shabby and sparse clothing, which revealed parts of his buttocks. Humphry apologized for his shabby appearance, explaining that he was very poor. He was born an illegitimate child, and although he had tried to advance himself into a respectable career, he had been held back by ill health and poverty. Matthew was sympathetic and gave Humphry money to buy new clothes.
Humphry was touched by Matthew’s kindness and eager to continue working for him. Matthew agreed, even though Humphry quickly caused several problems and misunderstandings. Matthew and Tabitha had an argument about Tabitha’s dog, and she agreed to get rid of the dog once they got to London.
Letter 30 Summary: “To Dr. Lewis”
Matthew shares his impressions of London: He finds the city overwhelming, chaotic, crowded, and unpleasant. He is eager to return to “my solitude and mountains” (90). However, Matthew is going to continue the trip to the north of England rather than returning home directly, since he has been getting along better with Tabitha. Since their recent confrontation, “she and her dog have been remarkably quiet and orderly” (90). Matthew also concedes that Lydia and the others should have a chance to see London, even though he personally wants to leave as soon as possible.
Letter 31 Summary: “To Miss Laetitia Willis, at Gloucester”
Lydia writes, marveling at London’s size and diversity. While she is enjoying the city, she also misses her life in the country. Now that they are in London, the family has been socializing with new people, including a man named Mr. Barton (Jeremy’s friend) and Lady Griskin (a distant relative).
Letter 32 Summary: “To Sir Watkin Phillips, Bart. of Jesus College, Oxon.”
Jeremy writes to his friend about life in London. Jeremy’s friend, Mr. Barton, is interested in marrying Lydia, but Lydia seems indifferent to him, and Jeremy does not intend to pressure his sister to marry anyone unless she wants to. Jeremy is amused to see that Tabitha seems to think Mr. Barton is actually courting her, and he describes how “she sighs, and flirts, and ogles” (96).
Generally, the family is getting along well, and Tabitha has become much more pleasant; she has even given away her dog to Lady Griskin. Humphry seems to be a positive influence on the family; Jeremy and Matthew recently observed Humphry urging other servants and working-class people to avoid swearing.
Letter 33 Summary: “To Dr. Lewis”
Matthew is finding his time in London tedious, and his experiences in the city confirm his cynical views about humanity. He finds that “every thing I see, and hear, and feel, in this great reservoir of folly, knavery, and sophistication, contributes to enhance the value of country life” (107). Matthew is also growing suspicious that Tabitha’s newly pleasant behavior is a cover-up for some sort of scheme.
Letter 34 Summary: “To Mrs. Mary Jones, at Brambleton-hall”
Win writes to her friend, expressing her wonder at the vast city of London. She also reports that she likes and respects Humphry, who recently came to her aid when a man threatened her. She appreciates Humphry’s good manners and respect for education, and she aspires to improve herself.
Letter 35 Summary: “To Sir Watkin Phillips, Bart. of Jesus College, Oxon.”
Jeremy updates his friend about his activities in London; he and his uncle have been mingling with members of London society, including politicians, aristocrats, and writers. However, Matthew in particular finds many of these men morally objectionable.
Letter 36 Summary: “To Dr. Lewis”
Matthew continues to be displeased with London and has now become fixated on the quality of food and drink there. He laments that London “teems with fresh objects of detestation and disgust” (118). Matthew offers a lengthy discussion of different foods that he finds to be of low quality, contrasting them with healthy and delicious food grown in the country. He concludes his letter by telling Dr. Lewis that he will be leaving London in about one week and hopes to have concluded all travels and returned to Wales by October (it is now early June).
Letter 37 Summary: “To Sir Watkin Phillips, Bart. of Jesus College, Oxon.”
Jeremy writes a funny letter describing his experience attending a dinner party hosted by an author, at which most of the other guests were also writers.
Letter 38 Summary: “To Miss Laetitia Willis, at Gloucester”
Lydia writes to her friend to explain that Mr. Barton has declared his love and asked to marry her. Lydia has declined, both because she is still in love with Wilson and because she does not have any romantic feelings for Mr. Barton. Lydia worries that her lack of interest in Mr. Barton will lead her family to suspect that she is still in love with Wilson; nonetheless, she declares that, “my heart is incapable of change” (135).
Letter 39 Summary: “To Sir Watkin Phillips, Bart. of Jesus College, Oxon.”
Jeremy describes two significant developments occurring amidst his family group. He and Matthew happened upon Humphry addressing a crowd at a local church (the crowd included Lydia, Tabitha, and other members of the family). At first Matthew was very angry with Humphry, but after rebuking Humphry, he concluded that the servant was likely manipulated in some way by Tabitha, who had “made use of Clinker as a tool, subservient to the execution of some design” (140). Jeremy has also told his uncle that Mr. Barton is in love with Lydia and will likely propose to her soon. Matthew approves of this relationship, but Jeremy remains wary of how Tabitha will react (since she is infatuated with Mr. Barton herself).
Letter 40 Summary: “To Dr. Lewis”
Matthew writes to his friend, complaining that “the deceitful calm was of short duration [and] I am plunged again in a sea of vexation” (141). Mr. Barton came to the house (intending to propose to Lydia), but Tabitha assumed he was going to propose her. When Mr. Barton realized this, he fled from the house, and later sent a note explaining his true desire: to marry Lydia. Lydia makes it clear that she doesn’t want to marry Barton, accidentally revealing that she still loves Wilson and has in fact had contact with him several times since leaving Gloucester.
Jeremy is very angry with Wilson, but he and Matthew become sidetracked when they hear that Humphry has been arrested. Humphry has been accused of being a highwayman (a type of thief who stole from travelers), and an eyewitness claims he was involved in a specific robbery. Matthew is convinced that Humphry has been mistaken for someone else and plans to intervene on his behalf.
Letter 41 Summary: “To Sir Watkin Phillips, Bart. of Jesus College, Oxon.”
Jeremy writes to his friend with further information about Humphry: Humphry was imprisoned because Mr. Mead (the victim of the robbery) insists that Humphry robbed him. Humphry is also not helping his own case because he is vague in his denials and thinks it would be wrong to “call myself innocent, while my conscience is burthened with sin” (147). Jeremy has also discovered that the real perpetrator of the crime is a man named Edward Martin.
Jeremy eventually learns that Humphry has been preaching to other prisoners and influencing their behavior: The jailor reports that, “we han’t sold a cask of beer, nor a dozen of wine, since he paid his garnish” (150). Jeremy brings Mr. Mead to observe Humphry in prison, and Mr. Mead is moved, deciding that Humphry was not the man who robbed him. He promises to advocate for Humphry’s innocence, and Jeremy is hopeful that Humphry will soon be acquitted and released.
Letter 42 Summary: “To Dr. Lewis”
Matthew writes with the resolution of Humphry’s imprisonment: Humphry has been acquitted and released; everyone is very impressed with his comportment and intelligence. Humphry will be journeying with the Bramble-Melford family as they make their way to Yorkshire, in the north of England.
Letter 43 Summary: “To Mrs. Mary Jones, at Brambleton-Hall”
Winifred writes to share her happiness that Humphry has been found innocent; she attributes this to his innate goodness and explains that “his virtue is like poor gould [pure gold], seven times tried in the fire” (155). She also explains that, due to Humphry’s influence, she and Lydia have converted from Anglicanism to Methodism.
Letter 44 Summary: “To Mrs. Gwyllim, House-Keeper at Brambleton Hall”
Tabitha expresses her frustration that Mrs. Gwyllim has not responded to her previous letters; these contained detailed instructions as to how to manage the estate and household. Tabitha urges Mrs. Gwyllim to remain diligent and to keep a close eye on the rest of the household.
Letters 29-44 Analysis
Although he is the titular character, Humphry Clinker does not appear in the novel until the plot is well underway. He encounters the family at a moment of crisis, after they have experienced both a carriage accident and an angry confrontation about Tabitha’s badly behaved dog. From his first appearance, Humphry is a beacon of calm and competence in a disorderly and often chaotic family. Initially, however, Humphry’s most notable characteristic is his poverty: His clothing is so shabby that his buttocks are partially exposed, which Tabitha takes as a great affront.
Upon learning about Humphry and his struggles to overcome the poverty he was born into, Matthew ironically observes, “Clinker, you are a most notorious offender—you stand convicted of sickness, hunger, wretchedness, and want” (82). By using the metaphor of crime, Matthew critiques the belief that poverty arises from some sort of moral failing—a belief that allows the wealthy to justify their own privileged positions. While he can be grumpy, Matthew consistently shows compassion and care for those genuinely suffering, especially when their suffering is due to poverty and social prejudice. He is “pleased with the gratitude of Clinker, as well as with the simplicity of his character” (83), and Matthew’s appreciation of Clinker’s obvious and innate integrity reflects the theme of Virtue and Integrity Amid the Lower Classes.
The immediate solution to Clinker’s poverty is to provide him with new clothes: Jeremy describes how Humphry now looks like “a smart fellow” (82) and has “metamorphosed himself” (83). Humphry’s “metamorphosis” subtly critiques the assumption—widespread in this era—that social class is an innate and immutable characteristic. If all it takes to transform Humphry into a gentleman is a change of clothes, the implication is that distinctions between gentleman and pauper are not nearly as significant as they appear. This minor incident foreshadows the eventual revelation that Humphry is Matthew’s biological son; his class status and position can be put on and taken off, like a suit of clothing, because social position is largely externally constructed and based on the viewpoint of others. The change of clothing also alludes to what will happen when Wilson transforms his social position by revealing that he is in fact George Dennison. Like Humphry, he assumes a new identity and a new social status without changing anything fundamental about himself.
Humphry joins the travelers shortly before they arrive in London, where they spend a good length of time. London in the mid-1700s was a major world capital and had grown to be the largest city in Europe. The dynamic and rapidly expanding nature of the city is reflected in the comments of the characters; Matthew comments that “what I left open fields, producing hay and corn, I now find covered with streets, and squares, and palaces, and churches” (86). He is suspicious about the overall impact of urban growth, fretting that “what wonder that our villages are depopulated, and our farms in want of day-laborers” (87). Matthew also reveals his mistrust of urban spaces, as they undermine distinctions of social class and rank: “[T]here is no distinction or subordination left—the different departments of life are jumbled together” (88). All of these critiques exemplify the theme of The Contrast Between Urban and Rural, especially since Matthew’s experiences in London lead him to pine for the simple and healthful life he believes he enjoyed in Wales.
Much of the section of the novel set in London takes the form of a travelogue, focusing on description of setting rather than plot incidents or character development. During the stay in London, Humphry’s religious devotion is revealed, adding a new dimension to his character: Jeremy and Matthew wander by chance into “a kind of methodist meeting […] a footman was then holding forth to the congregation” (136-37). Methodism is an umbrella term for a variety of Christian sects that emerged in the 18th century, sharing some common theological beliefs and origins (although later splintering into distinct denominations). At the time Smollett was writing, Methodism would have largely referred to a breakaway movement led by brothers John and Charles Wesley, who moved away from the Anglican faith (the official state religion of England) to emphasize a less hierarchical faith and a strong commitment to works of charity.
By elevating a relatively uneducated, working-class man like Humphry to the position of a preacher, Methodism disrupted English social hierarchies. In the Anglican tradition, ministers were typically well-educated men from wealthy families, and their religious authority stemmed from and reinforced their social authority. Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, a career as a minister was one of relatively few career paths that someone could engage in while retaining the genteel social status of a gentleman, and so Humphry’s taking on this role reflects a kind of subversive social mobility. Moreover, individuals who preached sermons held significant sway and authority, and thus Humphry’s “preaching” triggers fears around a kind of usurpation of authority. Matthew is eventually convinced that Humphry is harmless and sincere in his religious belief and desire to help others. He is a model of Virtue and Integrity Amid the Lower Classes. However, Humphry’s ability to assume a kind of leadership role while bypassing traditional systems of education, influence, and social status hints at increasing class mobility and shifts in authority; it is not a coincidence that these events unfold in an urban center, where traditional social structures and class boundaries were already beginning to fray.
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